Marc Philipp Gemballa — the son of 1980s tuner Uwe Gemballa — has pulled the wraps from the new Marsien GT, a road-focused evolution of the all-terrain Marsien that was first revealed in 2021.
While the original Marsien was developed with off-road driving in mind and drew inspiration from the Paris-Dakar Porsche 959 rally cars of the 1980s, the GT has been engineered to spend its life firmly on the black stuff.
Each Marsien GT starts life as a Porsche 992-generation 911 Turbo S before being extensively overhauled. Marc Philipp Gemballa says about 1,500 components are newly engineered or manufactured as part of the conversion, covering everything from the bodywork and suspension to the exhaust system, wiring loom, aerodynamic systems and interior.
More than 100 carbon-fibre components make up the Marsien GT’s body. These include the main exterior panels, air channels, wing mirrors, wheel-arch liners and a large rear section extending from the A-pillars to the rear wing.
The redesigned bodywork incorporates active front-fender louvres, an active rear wing, a roof scoop, ram-air intakes, side-skirt intakes and a full carbon-fibre underbody. Together, these changes help cut weight by a claimed 75kg compared with a standard 911 Turbo S while also increasing downforce and stability at higher speeds. A central fuel-filler arrangement has also been adopted, partly to improve weight distribution.
Beneath the carbon-fibre bodywork is a completely redesigned double-wishbone suspension system developed with German suspension specialist KW Automotive. Unlike the original Marsien’s setup, which had to cope with a certain amount of terrain-bashing, the GT’s suspension has been developed specifically for carving up smooth tarmac.
The electronically controlled dampers are based on KW’s DDC V5 technology and can independently adjust compression and rebound damping. Each damper incorporates two electromagnetic proportional valves, allowing the system to respond to changing conditions within 20 milliseconds.
The standard ride height is 100mm, while a front-axle lift system can raise the nose by an additional 60mm to help clear ramps, driveways, speed bumps and other urban obstacles. Multiple driving modes adjust the damper settings, transmission and engine mapping, and can be selected via a button on the steering wheel.
The Marsien GT sits on bespoke six-spoke forged aluminium wheels with centre-locking hubs, measuring 20″ at the front and 21″ at the rear. They are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, measuring 275/35 up front and 335/30 at the rear.
At the heart of the GT is a Porsche-derived twin-turbocharged flat-six that receives a significant engine upgrade developed by the gurus over at RUF. Revised engine management, enhanced variable-turbine-geometry turbochargers and modified transmission calibration lift output to 619kW and 930Nm.
Marc Philipp Gemballa claims the Marsien GT will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 330km/h. A second-stage engine upgrade is also in development, with output expected to exceed 670kW.
Both versions exhale through a full-titanium quad exhaust system developed by Slovenian specialist Akrapovič.
The cabin remains recognisably 911-based, though Marc Philipp Gemballa has redesigned much of the trim and hardware. The centre console has been raised and incorporates an aluminium gear lever inspired by the Porsche Carrera GT. Customers can specify an exposed carbon-fibre or mahogany gear knob, while carbon-fibre interior trim is also available.
A Club Sport-style roll bar can be fitted behind the seats, with finishes including painted metal, leather, Alcantara or exposed carbon fibre. Each car will also carry an individual production-number plaque integrated into the centre console.
Production of the Marsien GT will be limited to 30 examples, taking total planned production across the Marsien programme to 70 vehicles.
Pricing starts at €770,000 (R15.4m), excluding taxes, duties, shipping and the cost of the Porsche 911 Turbo S donor vehicle. First customer deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2027.
The Marsien GT will make its world premiere and North American debut during Monterey Car Week at Pebble Beach.
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